Keeping Your Summer Whites Bright

White pants are a classic staple piece for summer from white jeans to traditional trousers. Today I’ll not only bring you a look featuring white pants for the office, but I’ll also give you some tips on keeping your whites crisp & bright.

Hello loves, I think it may be safe to say that summer is right around the corner in Chicago. With that being said, it’s white pants season (although, we don’t believe in the “no white after Labor Day” myth)! White pants are the quintessential neutral for summer and rightfully so. They’re a blank canvas that you can style so many different ways! I paired mine with this printed asymmetrical top from Rent the Runway and black single strap sandals from Target.

wearing white pants to work how to keep whites white

styling white pants for work ny and co crop pants navy blouse

I snagged these white crop pants from New York and Co’s summer sale last year. After purchasing, I was a little on the fence about them because the cut made them look too short for me. If you have this same issue with crop pants I recommend wearing a heel with them like I did. This helps to elongate your legs and almost makes the pants look like culottes.

I’ve been using Rent the Runway for a few months now and I love it! I can get new, high end pieces like this blouse by Slate & Willow and pair them with pieces I already have in my closet. I wore this blouse with a few different bottoms during my rental but this combo with the white crop pants is my absolute favorite! The white rope print on top of the navy along with white pants gives this look a very cool, nautical look. Perfect for summer time Chi by the lake!

summer white crop pants for work tips on how to keep whites bright

Some of you may be reading this and thinking “I could never wear white pants! They get dirty so easily and are a pain to clean”. I get it. I, too, was once of the same mindset of the great Carrie Bradshaw “I’ll never be the girl with the perfect hair, who can wear white and not spill on it”. Now, I was a little more cautious when I wore these pants because no one wants to spill their morning coffee all over white pants. However, I have a few tips for at home cleaning, to keep them from fading over time. **If you do spill anything that will stain white, I suggest taking them to the cleaner’s**

Wash whites with whites only- I know people who don’t sort their laundry at all. If you’re that person, I’m not judging you by any means. What I’ve learned from personal experience is that sorting your laundry is the best way to keep ALL your colors looking crisp longer. Whites especially tend to get dull when they’re washed with darker colors. Do yourself and your clothes a favor and sort your laundry before washing.
- A secondary tip to this is reading the laundering directions on the tag. I know I sound like an old lady saying this but seriously, let’s take care of our clothes.
Use Cleaning Agents- Outside of your regular laundry detergent, I like to add a product like Oxiclean to get an even deeper clean. These products enhance your regular wash and preserve your clothes. You can also use spot treatments to help remove small stains.
Hang dry your “good” clothes- I would put white pants in this category since they’re highly susceptible to wear and tear. Any of my clothes that can easily get knotted, shrunken or misshapen in the dryer get hung to dry. My clothes last so much longer now that I don’t just toss everything in the dryer and hope for the best.

I really hope you all found these little laundry tips helpful! We should all be able to wear our bright, white pants this summer without fearing how to keep them looking their best. Do you machine wash all of your clothes, or do you utilize the dry cleaner’s for certain pieces? Comment below and let me know!